What is e-learning?
February 12th, 2009 | by Penelope CoutasIs e-learning a structured learning environment, such as BlackBoard or WebCT, or is it the total sum of one’s “learning network” with all the myriad devices (and people), online and off?
This question came up on a mailing list recently (asking about university policies on e-learning that aren’t just about the university’s “formal” LMS), and occurred to me again in listening to a presentation about Apple’s iTunes U. In many ways, what iTunes U offers seems to double up on what is already possible with Lectopia/iLecture. At Murdoch, we are already able to download lecture “podcasts” and subscribe to them: It’s just that they’re accessed through the Learning Management System (LMS: at Murdoch, BlackBoard) and takes a couple of steps. iTunes U would be an alternative way of accessing the same information, which some students may prefer as they are already familiar with and use the iTunes software on a regular basis. Same outcome, different input - flexible learning, right?
On the other hand, it’s good practice to “check in” to the LMS in order to see the announcements and (gasp) perhaps even check the Discussion Board from time to time. Would accessing lecture-casts via iTunes U, although a more convenient way to access learning resources (for some), end up being less convenient because of the missed opportunities for accessing other learning resources/information? Or would it encourage lecturers/lecture-developers to include that information in the “podcast” itself? To me, it’s kind of like having a book delivered to you from the library instead of going to the shelves - by having it delivered you miss out on browsing around either side of the book to see what else is on the same/similar topic. If you can manage to get to the library, that is! Then again, iTunes U offers a search of not only the university’s content, but also other sources… a big browse of big shelves!
But it comes back to “centralising” the e-learning experience, and creating a “hub”. Should it be centralised through (as) the established LMS? Or is “e-learning” now as diverse as the tools themselves? Should a “LMS” be, in fact, akin to iGoogle whereby the user determines the information coming in (and out)? But, again, what about the missed information and missed opportunities because you do not know they exist, in order to request them?
I always like attending information sessions and learning about emerging (emerged?) technologies. Lots of food for thought.
2 Responses to “What is e-learning?”
By Kathryn Greenhill on Feb 13, 2009 | Reply
I think that more and more it will come down to assessing chances for findability and community.
Findability - Is the information easy to retrieve and visible when the user wants it? That includes maybe:
1) Redundant storage/access from many places - LMS, ECMS, Course blog, iTunesU, via RSS etc.
2) Descriptive and rich metadata so that in any of these forums it can be easily accessed - just having a uniform schema for tagging with course codes would be a big step forward - eg. MUEDU299S109 for “Murdoch Uni Education 299 Semester One 2009″. I think there is very little chance of people who create adding this tag and people searching using this tag unless there was a bit education campaign about it.
The other side of this is that adhoc descriptive tags - as many as possible should be added. I don’t think a controlled vocab is workable, but a whole heap of tags would add a lot to retrievability .
Community - This lets people use “human filters” to find the information, rather than relying on mechanical ones.
Some of the most important qns people need answered are “what info do I need? , “Where will I find it?”, “What will I do with it when I get it?”.
The discussion boards on the LMS are good for this, as are course blogs like the one set up for screen studies - MCC 128 http://blogs.murdoch.edu.au/mcc128s12009/ . There may be other tools (like a delicious account that can be embedded in the LMS that everyone adds to …) that students and instructor agree to use.
…I think it is sensible that there is one “official channel” for communications, which at the moment is the LMS. That would be for bare-bones, essential, info that you need for the course - class times etc.
What you use to add Findability and Community should maybe be a mishmash of tools that suits the group that is learning?
By online diploma student on Jul 25, 2009 | Reply
I think it is also very important to let the use pull the information they’d like to learn, instead of following some predefined structure. As all of us are different, such way of learning would be much more efficient.